Radiation therapy often reminds people of the damage caused by radiation. X-rays are used in imaging such as X-ray films or CT scans, but the radiation dose received during radiation therapy is much higher. Such high doses can damage human cells, and even the mention of radiation can cause public anxiety.

Radiation therapy is mainly used to treat malignant tumors by destroying tumor cells with radiation. However, normal tissues and cells are also inevitably affected to some extent. To reduce radiation damage to healthy tissues, neurosurgeon Lars Leksell invented radiosurgery—a technology that includes well-known devices such as the Gamma Knife, CyberKnife, and X-Knife.

After 50 years of clinical practice and accumulated experience, radiosurgery for brain tumors and cerebral arteriovenous malformations has become a groundbreaking and innovative achievement in neurosurgery. Yet technological progress never stops. Recently, the integration of brain functional imaging into radiosurgery has made it possible to visualize nerve fibers and abnormal blood vessels during treatment planning. This allows radiosurgical precision to reach the level of individual nerve fibers, minimizing nerve injury and making the preservation of neurological functions achievable.

On computer imaging, we can now visualize various neural tracts, including visual, auditory, and language pathways, and design radiosurgery plans with precision down to the nerve fiber and neuron level. Although this may sound somewhat exaggerated, it has already been applied in clinical practice. Hopefully, this new technology will benefit more patients in the near future.